&#34;3-14-71&#34; grapevine

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct variety of grapevine producing fruit of dark red to black coloration which is mature for harvesting and shipment approximately two weeks after the &#34;Thompson Seedless&#34; grapevine and is of large size and possessing an exceptional ability to retain its freshness and flavor long after harvest and in cold storage.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW VARIETY

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety ofgrapevine, which will hereinafter be denominated varietally as"3-14-71", and more particularly to a grapevine of the vinifera speciescharacterized by large seedless berries of dark red to black color;which is mature for commercial harvesting approximately September 28thin McFarland, Calif.; and which has an exceptional ability to retain itsfreshness and palatability long after harvest during shipping, handlingand in cold storage.

The "Thompson Seedless" grapevine is a variety which has been one of themost commercially successful producing large, green seedless berries ofgood flavor, ripening for harvest beginning in August and extending tomid September in the San Joaquin Valley of central California. Becauseof these attributes and because of the exceptional shipping and handlingcharacteristics of the fruit as well as other factors, the "ThompsonSeedless" grapevine has been one of the most extensively plantedgrapevine varieties in the San Joaquin Valley over many decades to whoseclimate it is uniquely well suited. Furthermore, the fruit of the"Thompson Seedless" grapevine has been well received in the marketplace.

In the marketing of grapes, which may generally be classified as tocoloration as being either "green" or "colored", it is known that forany given segment of the season it is desirable to have fruit of bothcolor types available for sale. The green class of grape varieties mayvary in color form yellow-white to relatively deep green. The coloredclass of grape varieties may vary in color from red to black. Duringsome portions of the season for grapes, there are varieties of bothgeneral color types available which have more or less compatiblecharacteristics, in that they are seedless, flavorful and durablethrough harvesting, shipping and in cold storage. It has been found thatduring any such segment of the season, purchasers may exhibit apredilection for either color or both color types.

During the segment of the season occupied by the "Thompson Seedless"grapevine, there has not heretofore been a colored grape varietyavailable having truly comparable attributes to those of the grapes ofthe "Thompson Seedless" grapevine. As a consequence, the development ofa new colored grape variety having characteristics much more closelyapproaching those of the "Thompson Seedless" grapevine has been anobjective long sought, but not heretofore achieved.

the "3-14-71" grapevine of the present invention is the result of anextensive breeding project directed toward the development of just sucha new grapevine variety and which has been found substantially toachieve the objectives of that project in providing a grapevineproducing a colored seedless grape ripening for harvest substantiallylater than the fruit of the "Thompson Seedless" grapevine and otherwisehaving attributes compatible therewith. The new variety is distinctlydifferent from the "Thompson Seedless" grapevine. It fills a niche inthe marketing season by offering a large seedless berry that is colored,maturing after the main harvest of "Thompson Seedless" grapevine.

ORIGIN AND ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

The present variety of grapevine hereof resulted from a breeding projectin which the selections were of complicated parentage, involving anumber of progenitors. The parentage of the new variety is Hunisa, O.P.by Q25-6. A large berried selection of Hunisa grown for open-pollinated(O.P.) seed was used as a female parent. The pollen parent, the seedlessvariety Q25-6, was developed after several generations of crossing"Emperor" grapevines with a series of unnamed seedless selections. Thecross which produced the parent grapevine of the new variety was made bythe inventor in 1982 at Davis, Calif. The seedling of the new varietywas planted near Richgrove, Calif. and bore its first fruit in 1985. Thenew variety was selected for asexual reproduction for all of theattributes hereinafter set forth. Cuttings were taken from the parentgrapevine of the new variety in January 1986 and used asexually toreproduce the new variety in a planting at McFarland, Calif. The clonalprogeny of the new variety were observed through several growing seasonsand bore their first fruit in 1988. The inventor has confirmed throughsuch observation that the clonal progeny of the new variety preciselyretained those distinctive attributes which caused the parent of the newvariety to be selected for asexual reproduction as hereinafter setforth.

SUMMARY OF THE NEW VARIETY

The grapevine is characterized as to novelty by producing large seedlessgrapes of a dark red to black coloration, having excellent durabilityduring harvesting, handling and while in cold storage retaining itsoriginal fresh and flavorable character long after harvest. Thegrapevine of the subject invention has a high and uniform fruitfulnessof basal buds, permitting short pruning and more economic production.The fruit produced by the "3-14-71" grapevine is ripe for commercialharvesting and shipment about two weeks later than the "ThompsonSeedless" grapevine.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying drawing is a color photograph of representativeportions of the new grapevine of the present invention including bunchesof grapes and sectioned portions of individual berries thereof, those onthe left of center being in their natural form as described herein andthose on the right of center being in the form resulting from treatmentswith gibberellic acid; and typical foliage and canes of the new variety.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring more specifically to the viticultural details of this new anddistinct variety of grapevine, the following has been observed under theecological conditions prevailing at a vineyard located in McFarland,Calif. All major color code designations are by reference to theNickerson Color Fan published by Munsell Color Co. Incorporated. Commoncolor names are also occasionally employed.

VINE

Generally:

Size.--Large.

Form.--Upright in growth habit, shoots slender and straight with longinternodes. Bud burst in mid season.

Vigor.--Vigorous.

Shoot tip.--Open vinifera type. Internodes striped red on dorsal sidewith very sparse hairiness. No or feeble hairiness on nodes. Shoot tipreddish overall. Tendrils -- thin, trifid and very long and coilingreadily on support.

Productivity: This new variety is highly fruitful, even the basal budsproduce fruit clusters of commercial value. Thus, short spur pruning canbe utilized, providing a more economic system that the long canesnecessary for most seedless varieties.

Canes: Erect, ellipsoidal in cross section.

Surface.--Very smooth and glabrous.

Color.--Dark orange yellow (10 Y 6/8).

Color -- nodes and faint striations.--Moderate yellowish-brown (10 YR4/4).

Nodes.--Generally -- Not prominent.

Internode length.--Long straight.

Dormant buds.--Conical, pointed and well-sealed.

Flowers.--Generally -- Hermaphrodite, stamens with erect and longfilaments. Uniform in opening and shedding of pollen and calyptra.

Date of Bloom.--In McFarland, Calif. -- May 5th. In Richgrove, Calif. --May 6th.

Berries.--Seedless, although there are often two collapsed and softrudiments 3 mm (0.118 inches) to 5 mm (0.196 inches) in length that donot become gritty.

LEAVES

Size:

Generally.--Large. Three lobed, central lobe of blade cupped inward,often resulting in the superior sinuses, which are narrow and deep,being closed by the overlapping lobes.

Average length.--22.8 cm (8.976 inches).

Average width.--21.8 cm (8.582 inches).

Form: Outline -- wedge-shaped.

Color -- leaf blade: Dark green, dull aspect when fully expanded,glabrous except for few sparse arachnoid tufts between larger lateralveins.

Teeth: Very large, acute, rectilinear. Apical teeth on lateral lobes areoften more prominent than the terminal one of the central lobe. This isa good mark of identification.

Teeth -- Number: Few.

Color -- Leaf: Veins on underside whitish in contrast.

Petiolar sinus: Narrow, V-shaped to lyre, closed.

Petiole:

Length.--Equal to that of the midrib.

Thickness.--Medium.

Color.--Pink at juncture with leaf blade.

Stipules: Not distinctive.

FRUIT

Maturity when described: Ripe for commercial harvesting and shipment inMcFarland in the San Joaquin Valley of central California, on September28th and in Richgrove, Calif., on October 1st. The fruit descriptionrefers to natural clusters arising from the first basal buds of mediumcanes borne on mature vines trained as bilateral cordons. The very highfruitfulness of basal buds permits very short spur pruning in thedormant period and later regulation and selection of the best clustersby deshooting.

Cluster:

Generally.--Conical and borne on nodes two and three, well filled, withpeduncle offset from the cane.

Measuring from point of attachment.--Approximately 2.1 cm (0.826 inches)to first tendril branch, thence 3.7 cm (1.456 inches) to first fruitingbranch, plus 24.8 cm (9.763 inches) of fruiting area to tip of thecluster.

Width.--12.7 cm (5 inches). Overall weight of the cluster is 446 g,(15.928 ounces) of which the stem structure (rachis) accounts for about1.8 percent of the fresh weight. The mean number of berries per clusteris about 175, with less than one percent small (shot) berries. If longerspurs or canes are left at pruning time, the clusters are much larger insize, in which case, a winged or double cluster can arise.

Peduncle.--Medium width, woody only at point of attachment, rachisretains a bright green color for a very long time post-harvest. Theberries retain their freshness and flavor after long periods of coldstorage.

Berry: Ellipsoidal, flattened at point of attachment, 19 mm (0.748inches)×22 mm (0.866 inches); mean weight of 10 largest berries percluster 35.5 g (1.267 ounces); berry size increased substantially bygirdling.

Berry color.--Varies from dark red to black depending on relativematurity.

Flesh:

Generally.--Meaty and firm.

Texture.--Skin is thin.

Juice.--Uncolored.

Flavor.--Neutral.

Aroma.--Not distinctive.

Ripening.--Late September to mid October at McFarland, Calif.

Eating quality.--Very good.

Seeds: Seedless, occasionally small rudiments that remain soft andunobjectionable.

use: Table grapes.

Shipping, handling and storage qualities: Excellent.

Although the new variety of grapevine possesses the describedcharacteristics noted above as a result of the growing conditionsprevailing in McFarland in the San Joaquin Valley of central California,it is to be understood that variations of the usual magnitude andcharacteristics incident to changes in growing conditions,fertilization, pruning, chemical treatment, irrigation and pest controlare to be expected.

Have thus described and illustrated my new variety of grapevine, what Iclaim as new and desire to be secured by Plant Letters Patent is:
 1. Anew and distinct variety of grapevine substantially as illustrated anddescribed having buds which are highly fruitful, permitting shortpruning and selective use of best fruit clusters and which producesseedless fruit of dark red to black coloration which are mature forcommercial harvesting and shipment approximately September 28th inMcFarland in the San Joaquin Valley of central California and whichfurther has excellent shipping, handling and cold storage qualityretaining its freshness and flavor long after harvest.